ASIA: Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Hsien Loong met his Malaysian counterpart Anwar Ibrahim in the middle of the Straits of Johor on January 11 to mark symbolically the completion of the international span for the marine viaduct which will carry the RTS Link metro line between the two countries.
The 17·1 m long 340 tonne reinforced concrete span links the viaduct’s Pier 47 in Malaysia and Pier 48 in Singapore. It was constructed using steel support structures more than 26 m above sea level, with prolonged exposure to the weather and the requirement for millimetre precision under strong winds presenting a challenge.
Construction of the 4 km RTS Link between Woodlands North in Singapore and Bukit Chagar in Malaysia was reported to be 65% complete as of December 31.
The cross-border metro line is expected to open in December 2026. Customs, immigration and quarantine formalities will be completed at the departure station in each direction and the journey time will be around 5 min.
Offering a peak capacity of up to 10 000 passengers per hour in each direction, the link is expected to improve connectivity significantly and help ease road congestion on the nearby causeway.
‘This project is much more than building bridges’, commented Singapore’s Acting Minister for Transport Chee Hong Tat. ‘It is about building stronger ties between the people of Singapore and the people of Malaysia.’
